Historic Saranac Lake

Historic Saranac Lake Historic Saranac Lake's mission is to preserve and present area history and architecture to build a stronger community.

We operate out of the Saranac Laboratory Museum. Add to our online archive of local history: wiki.historicsaranaclake.org

09/04/2026

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

Today started with a big challenge. We needed to raise $50,000 to meet a generous matching gift. Guess what? We did it! Thanks to so many of you who stepped up today with gifts of all sizes, we unlocked the match! Our thermometer is now up to $108,000!

We still have a ways to go to meet our original goal of $120,000. So please visit the Giving Day Page to be a part of the campaign! You can find the link here: https://givebutter.com/c/building-our-future.

Your support makes the world of difference now that the expanded museum campus is open for business! These funds will support our busy slate of museum programs, school groups, collections care, professional exhibits, and so much more.

The online auction closes at noon tomorrow. There are some wonderful items still available, thanks to many generous donations from local businesses. You can place your bids here: https://givebutter.com/c/building-our-future/auction.

Thank you so much, and come see us at the new museum campus!

Amy Catania, Executive Director

You love our local history; we love sharing it! Nowhere is this clearer than our 5 Ws and Image of the Week social media...
09/04/2026

You love our local history; we love sharing it! Nowhere is this clearer than our 5 Ws and Image of the Week social media posts. We love seeing all of your ideas and memories shared on these posts.

What you might not know is that there’s a cost to making sure you get to see all those great photographs and postcards!

We have over 75,000 items in our collection. And every single one requires special care and attention to make sure they can be enjoyed well into the future. Here's a list of just a few of the items we use every day and what they cost

-Specialized scanning: $2,000
-Acid-free folders: $50
-Photo sleeves: $26
-Artifact tags: $125
-Archival metal-edge box: $16
-Acid-free record carton: $14

And there’s more… gloves, climate control systems, and the database software that lets the public explore HSL’s collection online. Not to mention the salaries of our amazing collections staff!

Behind every digitized photograph and shared memory is a lot of work.

Help us care for the collection today by making a gift at https://givebutter.com/c/building-our-future

Or bid on our Online Auction here: https://givebutter.com/c/building-our-future/auction

We're just under halfway to our challenge goal!If we can raise $50,000 today, we unlock another $50,000 match. That mean...
09/04/2026

We're just under halfway to our challenge goal!
If we can raise $50,000 today, we unlock another $50,000 match. That means your gift doesn't just go twice as far; it directly aids the education, public programming, collection care, and exhibit development you've seen throughout the day.
Supporting HSL today means you're supporting the community. Help us cross the finish line and unlock the full match by donating at https://givebutter.com/building-our-future.

History is for EVERYONE!Over the last year, we’ve worked with over 30 different school groups to connect Saranac Lake’s ...
09/04/2026

History is for EVERYONE!

Over the last year, we’ve worked with over 30 different school groups to connect Saranac Lake’s history directly to the classroom. From local elementary learners to visiting college students, students of all ages explore the people and stories that shaped our region.

Access is at the heart of our work. As part of this program, this year, we’ve provided over 300 free museum passes to local families.

And learning doesn't stop at the classroom door: we also connected with over 3,000 people this year through our public presentations, events, and guided tours.

Over the next year, we are developing tools to help deepen connections to our history. Lesson plans, education trunks, new tours, and presentations are all in the works!

Help us keep history accessible, exciting, and affordable by supporting our Giving Day at https://givebutter.com/c/building-our-future

Or bid on our Online Auction here: https://givebutter.com/c/building-our-future/auction

Today we launch our second annual Giving Day Campaign: Building our Future! And we are thrilled to announce a phenomenal...
09/04/2026

Today we launch our second annual Giving Day Campaign: Building our Future! And we are thrilled to announce a phenomenal challenge grant of $50,000 to kick things off!

Anne and Jim Schoff have stepped forward with this generous gift to support our busy year-round educational programs. Your donation before the 8 PM deadline today will help unlock the gift and ensure the success of our growing museum in the coming year!

If you prefer to make your gift as a pledge, please contact Amy at [email protected].

With the launch of our new museum campus, this next year is going to be OUR BIGGEST ONE YET! Brand-new exhibits, artifacts never displayed before, AND a dedicated public research room! All here to bring the history of the Saranac Lake region to life like never before.

But this expansion is about so much more than just a building and a collection.

At HSL, our goal is to connect with everyone, from the curious student to the story-filled grandparent.

With new tours, programs, school lesson plans, and oral history events ahead, we want to show you that this isn’t just HSL’s museum.

It’s yours!

Help us kick off this next chapter by donating here: https://givebutter.com/c/building-our-future

Or bid on our Online Auction here: https://givebutter.com/c/building-our-future/auction

: Saranac Lake Central School District students are returning to school today! In honor of this big day, here is a phot...
09/03/2026

: Saranac Lake Central School District students are returning to school today! In honor of this big day, here is a photograph of George F. Leis, Jr. with his books, heading off to school. This photograph was taken September 29, 1910, so Petrova School did not yet exist. It is not known which school George attended. We hope that all of our students have a great first day, and a wonderful school year!⁠
⁠
Learn more about the history of Saranac Lake schools on our wiki: https://wiki.historicsaranaclake.org/index.php/Saranac_Lake_Schools
⁠
[Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2010.4.10. Gift of Marietta Leis Vogel.]

: Historic Saranac Lake needs your help identifying the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and/or WHY of this photo. This week's 5...
09/02/2026

: Historic Saranac Lake needs your help identifying the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and/or WHY of this photo. This week's 5 Ws is a double mystery! We do not know where the photograph on this postcard was taken, and we also don't know how to translate German. This card was mailed 118 years ago this week! Can you help us identify this spot, or translate its message? Let us know by leaving a comment or sending us a message!⁠
⁠
[Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2026.7.31.]

Did you know that supporting HSL on Giving Day helps us bring history to thousands of people throughout the year?Every y...
09/01/2026

Did you know that supporting HSL on Giving Day helps us bring history to thousands of people throughout the year?

Every year, our team works to connect visitors, students, community members, and more to the history of the Saranac Lake region. School visits, lectures, and history tours are just some of the things we offer as part of our educational outreach!

If you want to help HSL continue to make an impact and bring our local history to the public, donate to our Giving Day campaign today!

Donations are open now and end at the end of the day on Friday, September 4th.

Donate here: https://givebutter.com/c/building-our-future

Address

89 Church Street, Ste 2
Saranac Lake, NY
12983

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

(518) 891-4606

Website

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